Secret Santas keep paying layaways

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - For the fourth straight day, someone who wishes to remain anonymous paid off the layaway bills of complete strangers.

The trend started Tuesday, when a woman came into the Kmart store on Plainfield Avenue in Plainfield Township.  She spent $500 on three layaway orders of people she hadn't met. Her only requirement was that the orders have toys in them.  She wrote on each of the receipts, "Happy Holidays From a Friend."

On Wednesday, a man came into the same Kmart and paid off $2000 on strangers' layaway orders.  Thursday, it was $1000 at the Plainfield Kmart.

On that same day, a woman saw the story and said she was inspired . The Hastings woman went to her nearby Hastings Kmart and spent $5000 on strangers' layaway orders.  That woman told Kmart employees she wanted to help out her local area.  She told associates there she wanted the money to go toward orders that contained toys and clothes, and none of the recipients could know who she was.  Kmart employees made sure none of the recipients worked at Kmart.

The $5000 paid off 50 layaway orders.  None of those people received phone calls letting them know, per the donor's request, so only five of those 50 have found out so far their orders are paid off.

Friday morning another unidentified man paid off $350 at the Plainfield Kmart.

The big question is, with 17 days until Christmas, when will it end?

24 Hour News 8 will keep you updated.

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On Dec. 14, a man walked into a Kmart in Missoula, Montana and paid off several layaways to the tune of about $1,000, according to KRTV.com.

The Kmart employee to helped the secret Santa said that he asked to pay off layaway bills that were late in their payments and wouldn't be able to settle the bill before Christmas.

The man also told the Kmart employee that he was visiting from Michigan, where he'd recently paid off other Kmart layaways.

The man also said he doesn't have any family, and playing Santa makes his Christmas for him.